Girl Meets Uncle Cory
by Mogombo97
Summary: The moment Maya stops calling Cory Mr. Matthews and starts calling him Uncle Cory.


Maya left the courthouse after signing and filing the adoption papers with her Mom and Dad. Dad...that is going to take some getting used to, she thought to herself. She had been trying not to hope that Shawn would become her dad someday, especially after he started dating her mom. She believed hope was for suckers, however she couldn't help but hope. She seemed to have gotten her wish when Shawn and Katy got married, she had even asked him if it meant she was his daughter now and he had said yes.

As much as she wanted Shawn to adopt her she never would have said it...she was too afraid he would say no that he didn't want to. People always left her and she didn't want to run Shawn off by pushing him. She knew logically that he wasn't going anywhere but the heart and the brain seldom agreed with each other and she just could not take the chance.

Earlier that day when everyone was at the Matthews' helping Topanga decide whether or not to uproot her family and move to London to accept her job offer to run the European office of her law firm Maya had been distraught at the thought of four of the people she loved most in the world leaving. She also felt guilty and selfish when her main thought was how could they leave me.

Topanga worked hard, she deserved everything she was getting and more, she had been like a second mother to Maya though and the thought of her not being there was not a pleasant one. Neither was the thought of Cory no longer being her teacher, who else was going to teach her about life the way he did. She had always wanted a little brother and she had that with Auggie. She forced herself to not even think about what she would do without Riley, she would end up curled up in a ball crying if she did and she refused to cry in front of everyone.

She was so absorbed in her own thoughts she nearly missed Shawn's speech about how change can be a good thing that if they hadn't moved to New York he never would have met Katy or Maya. Was he really trying to convince the people she loved most to move across the other side of the world? STOP it Maya, she berated herself. the world didn't revolve around her, they had to do what was best for them not her.

Topanga pointed out that they weren't there to discuss his life but to help her decide what to do. He agreed and handed Maya a slip of paper which she only looked at hoping for a distraction from what was going on around her. That is when her biggest wish was came through...he had handed her adoption papers. He wanted to adopt her.

Once the shock had worn off she tried saying her new name, or at least what would shortly be her new name. "I'm Maya Hunter". Saying that out loud had been one of the best moments of her life. She finally had a father who loved her, who wasn't going to leave. "Dad, Da-Dad-Daddy, hi Dad".

Those around them didn't know who was smiling brighter when she said that, her or Shawn.

Shortly after Topanga had left to find her quiet place the new family of three decided to go to the courthouse while it was still open to file the paperwork, there was no sense in waiting.

That night they had all had a mini-party at the Matthews' apartment to celebrate Maya becoming a Hunter, and Topanga deciding to decline the promotion and stay in New York and work towards running the New York office. She would still be a Partner either way.

If Riley had been a less mature person she would have been annoyed with her best friend, they had just found out they were not going to be separated by over three thousand miles and Maya had barely spent more than five minutes with her since arriving back from the courthouse. Instead she spent the entire night basically attached to Shawn's hip. She would have been annoyed if she was less mature, but she wasn't, instead she was more overjoyed than normal. Maya finally had a Dad, she wasn't moving to London. Everything had turned out better than she could have imagined when she woke up that morning.

Towards the end of the night Maya left Shawn and went over to Cory and Topanga who were talking to Josh and Mr. and Mrs. Matthews. "Sorry to interrupt, can I talk to you two for a minute please?"

"Of course Maya, this a regular talk or a bay window talk?" Cory asked pointing towards Riley's bedroom where all serious discussions were had. "Definitely a bay window kind of talk" Maya replied with a smile.

Cory shared a look of confusion with Shawn as Maya led him and Topanga to their daughter's bedroom, whatever this talk was, Maya hadn't mentioned it to Shawn before coming over to them. None the less he followed her down the hall and took a seat next to her at the bay window.

"So what is so important that it requires the bay window Ms. Hunter?"

Eyes lighting up at the use of her new name Maya looked up from her hands where she had been looking. She knew she wanted to have this conversation she just didn't know how to start it.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're not going to London and not just because I would miss Riley or Auggie, but because I'd miss the two of you as well"

Topanga wrapped an arm around the younger girls shoulders, Maya may have missed them if they left but nowhere near as much as they would have missed her. She was like a second daughter to them. "Awh honey we would have missed you to, but surely you didn't take us aside to tell us that you'd miss us?"

"Well no not only that, I wanted to say thank you"

Now Cory was even more confused, what did she have to say thank you for, they hadn't done anything, unless she was going to thank them for not taking Riley away, but that surely wasn't it.

"I don't think I say that enough, and I'm sorry for that. For most my life I always a little jealous of Riley. She had what I wanted, a Mom who was home a lot, who cooked dinner and checked my homework or a Dad who tucked me in and read me bedtime stories, or embarrassed me in front of boys. I know now that my Mom was doing all she could and that she didn't drive my Dad away, but I didn't then.

Another thing I didn't know was that everything i was jealous of Riley for, I had anyway. Mrs. Matthews you don't let me leave without eating breakfast before school, even if I technically had toast before leaving home, same goes for dinner, you always check my homework and ask about my grades. Mr. Matthews anytime I stayed over when we were younger you always tucked me in as well and read both Riley and I a bedtime story, and you definitely embarrass me in front of the boys at school. I wanted people I could turn to when I needed help and I have always been able to do that with you guys.

I spent most my life wishing for parents not realising that I had them all this time. In fact as of today I have two sets. I may call Katy and Shawn Mom and Dad but I've come to realise that's what you are to me just without the titles. So I just wanted to thank you both for everything you've done for me and even though I don't say it enough which I will be changing from know on, I appreciate everything yo do for me and I love you".

Words failed both Cory and Topanga for a few minutes but the tears streaming down their cheeks and the bone crushing hug they both pulled Maya into told her exactly how they felt. "We love you too Maya and we always will, you are my daughter just as much as Riley is and God help the fool who tries to say different"

"Topanga's right, we love you, you're ours as well as Katy and Shawn's and if you think I embarrass you now just wait until you actually have a boyfriend, he will have both Shawn and I to deal with".

"Before we head back out to the party I had one other thing on my mind"

"We are all ears sweetie"

"Seeing as Riley calls Shawn Uncle Shawn and I'm now Shawn's daughter I figured I'd stop calling you Mr. and Mrs. Matthews and start calling you Uncle Cory and Aunt Topanga, if-if that's okay with you that is?"

"I have been waiting years for Shawn to have a kid who would call me Uncle Cory, this is great I have to go tell Shawn.

Cory stood up kissed Maya's head and ran out the door shouting for Shawn. "I'll take that as a yes then"

Topanga laughed, "You do that Sweetie, you do that".


End file.
